St. Cloud Puts French Accent On Ambitions

It's more than 4,000 miles from St. Cloud in Osceola County to Saint- Cloud, France, but local officials are trying to bridge the gap.

Mayor Bob Renick said he hoped that by establishing ties with Saint-Cloud (pronounced San-Clu), his city could attract the attention of French businesses that may be considering expansions abroad. It's part of St. Cloud's long-term effort to broaden its tax base.

A few weeks ago Renick sent a box of information to Mayor Jean Pierre Fourcade of Saint-Cloud, which included the city's diamond jubilee flag, a framed proclamation and a letter, both translated into French.

Last week a response arrived. Fourcade said he was pleased to hear from his sister city in the United States, and that he would like to meet some folks in St. Cloud and establish cultural and economic ties. But there was no mention of business expansion.

Local history buffs say the origin of the Florida city's name is a mystery. Some attribute it to the city in France, some say it's named after a city in Minnesota, and a few say it comes from Osceola Indian Chief Cloud.

Chris Beck, the city's customer services representative, drove through Saint-Cloud a year ago.

''It was a beautiful suburb,'' she said. ''There were lots of gardens. It was very elite, very expensive. You couldn't tell where Paris ended and Saint- Cloud started.''